Two Can Play That Game
by Gothic984
Summary: The official proceedings have started and Lucas focuses on his candidate for the upcoming debate, to ensure his plans succeed.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from River Of Dreams.

It was a cool fresh Spring morning in Trinity South Carolina. A thick mist engulfed the Town like a blanket, covering the freshly bloomed flowers with a soft wet residue and this brought on a dampness to the air. Gail Buck stood peering out of the large open window of her bedroom, with her arms crossed over her chest to provide necessary warmth. As she took in the early morning atmosphere, she compared the eerie setting before her to something she would expect to read in a Stephen King novel and shook her head at the strangeness of her hometown.

It had been a peculiar few weeks since she had found out that she was pregnant and although she had managed to muddle along with her mandatory daily tasks, she had been disorientated and lacked her usual ability to navigate through her busy schedule. Gail found that she was unable to multitask like she used to and her professional duties were suffering, due to her lack of concentration.

After weeks of researching the limited information available regarding the Buck family tree and visiting the family graveyard at the edge of the property, she had been unable to locate any evidence to suggest that a female Buck had ever existed apart from the ones married into the family name. That bizarre discovery coupled with the hostile presence she sensed around the property resulted in her current course of action, which was to disregard the whole situation and attempt to carry on as usual. She had decided that if she ignored what was happening, the matter would cease to impact her life currently and she could regroup when she had more time to focus on figuring out what it all meant.

Lucas had been his usual confident, charming self and had attempted to engage her about her current predicament; however, she had made it clear to him that she did not want to discuss the matter and any further attempt to engage her would meet with dire consequences. She sensed that he was not impressed with her refusal to acknowledge her current state, but he heeded her wishes anyway and did not push the matter.

Gail glanced over her shoulder at her husband, as he lay sleeping peacefully on their large bed and felt a wave of revulsion come over her. She knew he would claim that they were in this together and he would never hurt the child growing inside of her; however, he was a Buck and the thought of there being no female children in this bloodline kept repeating in her mind, causing her concern and doubt in his apparent supportive nature towards her. Although she would like to believe she could trust her husband, he had been raised by the sadist Malcolm and his continuous lack of respect for women did not fill her with confidence about his loyalty in this matter.

Lucas stirred in the bed when he reached his hand out from beneath the silk covers and felt the cold empty space beside him. He turned onto his back and surveyed the bedroom, concerned with his wife's unexpected lack of presence at this early hour. When he located her by the window in her short nightdress, he let out a relieved sigh and signalled for her to return to him. 'You'll catch your death of cold there love' he advised tiredly and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, in an attempt to clear the haziness of his vision.

Gail continued to regard him with abhorrence for a moment, then forced a sweet smile when his vision cleared and obediently returned to their bed. 'God forbid I require some fresh air to wake up my senses' she said pleasantly and allowed him to wrap his arms around her, careful not to show her true feelings.

Lucas sensed a hint of resentment within her; however, he had respected her wishes not to discuss her current state and he assumed that the tension he sensed radiating off of her was linked to her condition. 'I can think of a better way to wake you up Darlin'' he teased seductively, choosing to disregard her resentment and pulled her closer to him.

Gail felt the hostility brewing inside of her and felt a sudden urge to lash out; however, when Lucas' hand trailed across her stomach tenderly, her demeanour softened and she leaned back into him. 'I haven't got time for this, I really should get up and see to the children' she advised unconvincingly.

Lucas ran his lips over her neck softly and nipped at her ear playfully. 'You need to see to yourself before you focus on anyone else love' he whispered, then reached beneath her nightdress and stroked her sweet spot teasingly.

Gail's dark feelings towards him washed away instantly as he caressed her and all that was remaining was her desire for him. She welcomed his warmness and reached behind her to pull his lips to hers, craving their undeniable connection.

Lucas kissed her passionately, savouring the taste of her in his mouth and gently parted her legs. 'We're in this together Gail, can't you feel it?' he whispered reassuringly, then gently pushed his hard manhood inside of her and let out a loud satisfied moan.

Gail closed her eyes at the comment she had predicted he would make and let out a small laugh. She squeezed his hand that was caressing her stomach, feigning her unwavering trust in him; however, she was careful to keep her guard intact and continued to hide her true feelings from him, as he took her softly.

* * *

Caleb drummed his fingers impatiently on the small table in the kitchen, as he sat waiting for his father or Gail to come down. He had heard movement from their bedroom when he had gotten up; however, it had been close to an hour since then and neither of them had left the bedroom. Caleb was beginning to get agitated, he was due at School in fifteen minutes and if neither of them drove him, he would get a scolding from Miss Coombs for being late.

He waited for a few more minutes to see if there was any movement, before glancing at the clock in frustration and getting up to grab his School bag. He rushed to the front door and went to fetch his bicycle; however, he remembered that he had been banned from riding by Gail, due to his broken arm and let out an exasperated sigh. He did not understand why he was unable to ride as his arm was almost fully healed, but he did not dare go against Gail's orders and just exited the house on foot moodily.

Caleb rushed towards the bus stop suspecting he had already missed the School bus, he waited for a few minutes and let out a long sigh when his suspicion was confirmed. He gave one last glance towards his home, hoping to see Gail stood at the door ready to drive him; however, when the large black door remained unmoved, he turned in the direction of his School and began walking.

As he strolled down the long quiet streets, he pondered over the happenings of the past few weeks. The atmosphere at home had been strange, even by his standards and he suspected his parents were hiding something from him. Gail had drummed it into him previously that he was always to tell the truth; therefore, when he was alone with her he had opted to ask her outright if everything was alright and test whether she would be honest with him. Gail had just smiled sweetly at him, caressed his cheek and kissed his forehead. When he tried to repeat the question she placed her finger softly on his lips, then shushed him as though they shared a secret that he was unaware of and went on with her tasks.

The thought of Gail brushing him off in this way made him smile and although the atmosphere appeared off recently, she had been caring for him more and more like a mother should. Gail had freed up a lot of her time for him, much to the disapproval of her Editor Mark and their relationship continued to grow stronger.

Due to his broken arm, Caleb had been unable to play after School like he usually would and Gail had taken it upon herself to entertain him. He was thoroughly enjoying the time he spent with her and when they were playing a board game together the other night, he had been laughing so hard that he accidentally let slip how he had started to regard her of late. Caleb had blushed instantly with embarrassment at the slip of his tongue; however, Gail just smiled her sweet smile that he had become accustomed to and stroked his arm reassuringly, before taking her turn.

Caleb loved how she could dissolve his embarrassment and worry with a single smile and supposed he could forgive her for choosing to have a lie in today. He was a teenager now after all and he did not require her to accompany him to School like a child; however, he would have appreciated some warning as he was well and truly late, and Miss Coombs was going to have his hide.

'Come on slowpoke, jump on. We ain't got all day!' Rose ordered cheerfully, as she pulled her breaks to bring her bicycle to a halt next to her friend.

Caleb smiled at the sight of his pretty friend; however, he shook his head and remembered Gail's orders. 'I ain't gettin' on that thing, you'll break my other arm!' he joked.

Rose narrowed her eyes at him, then let out a long sigh. 'Alright then, walk and be even more late. I'm sure Miss Coombs will reward you with a cookie' she said sarcastically, then laughed when he pulled his tongue out at her and started to climb onto her bicycle.

'If Gail sees me on this thing...' he started cautiously.

'She'll have to tell herself off for not drivin' you to School, now shut up and let me concentrate on not crashin'' Rose ordered, not used to the extra weight as she rode.

Caleb laughed and held on tight, he supposed Gail would not be able to scold him if she caught him as technically he was a passenger and not in fact riding; therefore, he sat back and enjoyed the closeness with his friend.

* * *

Gail lay in bed comfortably and stared up at the ceiling, pondering over her life while Lucas showered. She had heard the front door close when Caleb left for School and had intended to get up to take him; however, Lucas made it clear that he was not finished with her and used his strength to overpower her when she attempted to leave the bed. She supposed she should have protested more, maybe even scolded Lucas for disregarding the needs of his eldest son, but she was drained and did not have the strength to put up a good argument. Her energy was beginning to deplete more quickly these days and she was finding it harder to fight him.

Caleb had been concerned for her lately, a sad fact when he had a broken arm and she was supposed to be taking care of him. He had questioned her regarding how she was, clearly sensing there was something going on and rather than being a hypocrite and lying, she had chosen to brush off the question with affection and just did not answer. She had taught Caleb the importance of telling the truth, it would not have been right for her to lie to him and she was not ready to disclose her condition to anybody else just yet.

Caleb was a good caring boy, he seemed to be embracing family life strongly recently and had even called her Mom a few nights ago. She was unsure of how she felt about that, especially with her current predicament; however, she supposed it was normal for a child to feel such things when they finally had a stable family environment and rather than allowing him to feel ashamed for his slip of the tongue, she had smiled warmly at him to indicate that his feelings were nothing to be embarrassed about.

Gail had chosen not to inform Lucas of the slip, knowing full well that he would not be able to hide his smugness at how their family was coming together just as he had previously predicted it would. She could not bear the thought of the superiority that it would bring out of him and she was happy that Caleb had kept the incident to himself, acting normal around his father so not to arouse suspicion.

She smiled when she thought about how clever Caleb was and how far he had come since she had returned to Trinity, it was not a small feat considering who the head of the family was and Caleb was doing well not to be controlled by the darkness she knew was inside of him. Her husband had also been very inactive in that area of late and apart from the incident a few weeks earlier with Merlyn, she had not heard any whispers of unusual or unexpected accidents. Lucas had been far too nice for her liking recently, ever the loyal family man and it made her even more suspicious of his true intentions.

As if sensing her thoughts, Lucas entered the bedroom with beads of water from the shower still visible on his skin and a towel around his waist covering his manhood, holding two mugs of coffee in his hands. 'My true intentions huh?' Lucas smiled knowingly, then placed a soft kiss on her lips and passed her a mug when she sat up in the bed.

'How very nice of you husband' she said flatly, not hiding her suspicion and took the mug obediently.

Lucas laughed and shook his head. 'It's just a coffee for my tired wife, who clearly didn't sleep well last night...No hidden motives here love' he reassured her, then sat beside her and stroked her back gently.

'You're right, what was I thinking? Why would Lucas Buck ever have a hidden agenda?' she asked sarcastically and took a sip of the coffee, ignoring how hot the liquid was when it trailed down her throat.

'You can't judge when you'd have happily used your body to gain access to my personal details, prior to our official unity that is. If I recall correctly, you did delve deep into my property after using our closeness to your advantage, so you ain't no Saint in that regard love' he responded defensively, still stroking her back.

'If I recall correctly I'd already already given myself over to you on a number of occasions by that point, so thanks for your vote of confidence in my integrity husband' she snapped, unimpressed at his comment.

Lucas inhaled deeply and stroked her cheek softly. 'I'm not the one who has a problem with trust here Gail. Are we gonna hash this out already so we can just move on?' he asked, trailing his fingers down her bare arm slowly and smiling when she bit her lip to stifle a low moan.

Gail stared deep into his eyes, then let out a long sigh and shook her head. 'There's nothing to hash out soulmate and you're late for work' she advised sweetly, placing a soft kiss on his cheek and manoeuvring around him to exit the bed.

Lucas watched intently as she headed to Luke's crib and picked up their son when he reached for her excitedly. 'I'm Lucas Buck love, there ain't no time stamp I need to follow...Maybe I'll stay here all day with you and Luke, I'm sure we can find somethin' to do to entertain ourselves' he suggested mischievously, then stared at her seductively and untied the towel around his waist to reveal his hard manhood.

Gail ensured Luke's attention was over her shoulder while she faced her husband, then licked her lips teasingly and inhaled deeply. 'Alas, I wouldn't be a very responsible mother if I allowed my son to be banished to his crib all day, while his parents selfishly satisfied themselves' she stated in mock scorn.

Lucas let out an exasperated sigh and covered himself up, before rising from his seated position on the bed and approaching her. 'I suppose you're right, for a change' he teased and smiled when Luke reached for him affectionately. 'Besides, I wanna be present to back my horse when the Mayoral debate starts later'

Gail's glanced at him confused, then her eyes opened wide when the comment sank in and she cursed herself for being oblivious to what day it was.

Lucas smiled smugly at her reaction, knowing how preoccupied his wife had been recently and bounced Luke slightly to entertain him. Her current state had made her disorientated and unable to focus on anything other than their family, making it easier for him to push his candidate for Mayor to the forefront above hers and he knew that she would not take well to his current advantage. 'Forget somethin' important Darlin'?' he asked, feigning innocence.

Gail felt herself becoming angry at his smug demeanour and wanted to tear him apart; however, she would not give him the satisfaction of causing her to lose control and took a deep breath to calm her emotions. 'Not at all, it's all good. Enjoy the quality time with your son and I'll see you later when I'm backing my horse soulmate' she smiled calmly, then grabbed some clothes before he had a time to protest and left them alone while she attended to her neglected duties.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Caleb sat in the overly bright classroom with his elbow resting on the small desk in front of him and his hand propping his head up. Miss Coombs was droning on about poetry, something he had absolutely no interest in and he found his mind wandering to his ride to School earlier. Rose had managed to get him to class only 10 minutes after the bell, she had rode like lightening and although Miss Coombs did not look impressed when he interrupted her taking the register, he had made it before his name was called and evidently that was enough to avoid a scolding.

Rose had smelled so sweet and it had felt good holding on to her waist as she peddled through the streets, she had been careful not to cause an accident or any further damage to his arm. His father and Gail had made comments previously regarding the way he looked at her, his father in particular appeared proud when he pointed out that he was getting older and there were things that would begin to take his attention over playing with Boone. He had taken him aside and discreetly advised that he was going to grow into a man one day, meaning that he had to accept what urges took hold.

Gail was not proud like his father, she had somehow known what they had discussed that day and had warned him about overstepping with young girls. Caleb had no idea what she was referring to; however, her disapproving manner had caused something to stir within him and the memory of Poppy Bowen reappeared in his mind.

He thought back to Poppy, her bold red hair and radiant glow, she had gone out of her way to spend time with him when all of his friends had disregarded him and he missed her. The thought of her made him smile, he remembered her soft features and how she had also stirred something within him. Gail had been disapproving then too, she had not hidden how she felt about him spending time with an older girl and thinking back, she appeared somewhat relieved after the terrible tragedy occurred that took poor Poppy's life.

'And that's why it's important to use your head' the charming southern voice trailed through Caleb's reverie knowingly and Lucas smiled when he sensed his son was back in the present, enabling him to tailor the comment for the class before him. 'You might not think poetry is important kids, but you won't get anywhere in life without an education and who knows, the smartest of y'all may join my Deputies one day'

Caleb stared at his father confused, then glanced around the room when his classmates erupted in applause. His eyes rested on Miss Coombs, who was watching him curiously, then he heard the end of School bell and he got up instinctively with the rest of his classmates.

'Don't forget your homework, I expect a heart felt poem from you all tomorrow' Selena called after them and sighed when her words fell on deaf ears.

Lucas smiled charmingly at the children who passed him, then grabbed Caleb's arm before he could rush off. 'Don't go far with that little blonde of yours, I'll be out soon' he advised and released his boy's arm when he nodded obediently.

'Well this is a surprise' Selena stated cattily, as she casually walked to the large window and gazed out into the afternoon sun.

'I sensed my boy's mind wanderin' and decided to put him back on track...I thought you'd be grateful for the assistance Teacher, considerin' your job is to keep children engaged' Lucas smirked and approached her slowly.

Selena sensed his closeness and bit her lip longingly when she smelt his strong scent.

Lucas smiled at her subtle reaction to his presence, it was good to know that she still understood who was boss.

Selena continued to gaze out of the window, trying to push down her desire then gulped hard when his chest brushed against her back and he peered down at her. 'Shouldn't you be with your lovely wife?' she asked, attempting to remain in control of her body.

Lucas laughed and smiled down at her charmingly. 'My wife requires some downtime after I tired her out earlier, you remember what that was like don't you?' he asked knowingly, sensing her attempt to withstand his charm.

Selena inhaled deeply and looked up into his eyes longingly. 'I remember everything' she advised, more obediently than she had intended and cursed herself for being so easy to control.

'Oh don't put yourself Darlin', you know better than most that resistance to me is futile...I respect you for that' he whispered softly, allowing her to lean her back into his chest.

Selena felt a surge of electricity flow through her at their closeness. After she had been abandoned by Billy, she had been forgotten about and left to fend for herself. She craved intimacy and Lucas knew this, no matter how strong she tried to make herself seem. It was disappointing that all he had to do was brush up against her and she was his; however, this is how it had always been and resisting his charm was impossible.

Lucas inhaled deeply and stroked her arm gently. 'It's a shame really, you held out for all those years waitin' for some semblance of tenderness whether it was real or not' he said knowingly and stroked her arm softly.

'You're incapable of anything like that' Selena stated, letting of a small shiver when his fingers trailed down her arms.

'Am I? It appears my wife has trained me well Miss Coombs' he whispered in her ear smugly, as he stroked her back tenderly.

Selena sensed his amusement and cursed herself for failing to spot his game. 'What do you want Lucas?' she snapped bitterly, as she shrugged off his touch and walked to the back of the classroom.

Lucas smiled devilishly and strolled towards the centre of the classroom. 'It's nice to see that you haven't lost all of your senses Teacher' he smirked, then held his hands up in a mock surrender gesture when she shot him a scornful look.

'I'll ask again, what do you want?' she asked angrily, unable to control her emotions around him.

Lucas watched as she attempted to distract herself by picking up text books that had been left on the desks and cut off her path, forcing her to focus on him fully. 'It's come to my attention that I may not have done right by you' he stating, feigning a caring tone.

Selena gazed deep into his eyes, then let out a small laugh. 'Is this how you fool Gail?' she mocked, then turned serious. 'What do you want Lucas?'

Lucas gave her a look of warning at her comment about Gail, then smiled at her misplaced courage. 'I'll let that one slide this once Teacher, with how far back we go' he said flatly.

Selena tried to remain strong; however, her confidence wavered and she felt his tight hold on her. 'You came to me, not the other way around and you expect me to play nice?' she asked, forcing a steady tone.

'I expect you to know your place Selena, you know who I am' he advised, still holding her gaze for a moment, then turned around and casually began walking towards the door.

Selena let out a sigh of relief when he released his hold on her and she leaned back on a small desk.

Lucas sensed her relief at his exit and turned back towards her, not able to leave the game there. 'Just one last thing, I will come to you again and you will obey without question...I trust you still remember what happens to people who choose the wrong path?' he asked in a pleasant tone.

Selena stared at him cautiously, sensing the threat in his undertone and felt a wave of unease flood through her. She had no doubt this visit was due to some cruel game that he wanted to play and the realisation that she was now just another member of his Town caused dread to come over her, knowing that she did not stand a chance against him.

Lucas smiled maliciously when he sensed her unease then turned back around and walked out of the classroom, satisfied with the terror he had caused within her.

* * *

Lucas pulled up at the crowded parking lot of the Diner and signalled for Caleb to exit the car, he had business to attend to here before he could focus on his eldest and he thought it may benefit the boy spending some time amongst his townspeople. Lucas could not outwardly name the boy his biological son, not when his reputation had to remain intact; however, as their families had joined officially in marriage, he could publicly treat the boy as his and he was determined to better Caleb's name.

Caleb started to trail behind his father as they approached the Diner, then stopped when Lucas shot him a questioning look. 'What'd I do?' Caleb asked confused, just wanting to be out with Rose.

Lucas inhaled deeply and pulled Caleb to his side. 'You wanna walk in my shadow all of your life? Stand tall son' he ordered, then smiled when Caleb obeyed and continued on to the Diner.

Caleb entered first through the door Lucas held open for him and glanced around the crowded room nervously. He struggled to find an empty booth for them to occupy and looked up at Lucas, awaiting his next order.

Lucas read the boy's thoughts and smiled. 'You think I'd have a problem gettin' a table even if it was full son?' Lucas whispered, then shot him an amused wink.

Caleb watched his father in awe as people went out of their way to acknowledge his presence and show their appreciation of him. He was not stupid and knew that some people did not like Lucas; however, that fact appeared to be hidden and everyone addressed him with respect. Caleb stood tall like his father had told him and they walked side by side to the far end of the Diner, then stopped at a quiet booth in the corner which was occupied by a plump man that he vaguely recognised.

'Son, you remember Peter don't you? Our new candidate for Mayor' Lucas asked and signalled for Caleb to sit down by the window.

'I remember Adam, Gail's friend' Caleb shrugged, then spotted his fathers disapproving look and chose to remain quiet.

'It's alright' Peter advised jovial and smiled, not offended by the lack of recognition. 'We can forgive the boy considerin' I appear to have been hidden away, so it's easy to forget'

Lucas could not tell whether the man was being genuinely stupid, or sarcastic and having a dig at Lucas' lack of interest of late in the election. Either way, the mans demeanour irritated him. 'You come up with a strategy to get those votes yet friend?' he asked, forcing a friendly tone.

Caleb sensed Lucas' irritation and hoped it was not due to him.

Peter regarded him confused and felt his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. 'I just assumed you'd be doin' that when you asked me to run Lucas, I ain't got no clue about that' he stuttered.

'My Daddy runs this Town' Caleb interjected candidly, 'He's Sheriff Lucas Buck and does a lot, he shouldn't have to do your stuff too'

Lucas smiled proudly at his boy's candidness and ruffled his hair affectionately. 'My son's right, have you seen Adam waitin' around for someone else to start his campaign?' he asked, reaching over and offering Peter's fries to Caleb.

Peter glanced from Caleb to Lucas and felt himself become anxious. 'I understand what your boy's sayin', I just didn't know...I'll get started right away' he advised, then left the money for his food on the table and got up from the booth.

'Really?' Lucas called before he could leave.

Peter turned towards him and spotted the disapproving look on his face.

'You wanna show your respect for the workin' ladies of this establishment friend?' Lucas asked flatly, then shot Caleb a playful wink.

Peter stared at him confused for a moment until his mind focused and he rummaged in his pocket, then pulled out a $20 bill. 'Uh, I ain't got anythin' smaller than this' he advised nervously and when Lucas continued to stare at him expectantly, he placed the $20 bill on the table with the rest of his money.

'A $20 tip? Well ain't that generous of our soon to be Mayor' Lucas said loudly and smiled when half of the Diner turned towards them, acknowledging Peter's generosity.

Peter nodded his thanks to Lucas when he realised what he had done, then rushed out of the Diner before he lost anymore of his money.

Caleb laughed and shook his head. 'I'm not sure I want him as my Mayor' he advised, then picked up some fries and devoured them.

Lucas turned towards him and regarded him carefully, knowing how intelligent he was. 'Better someone who can take direction than a rogue son...You see how easy it was to get him to do the right thing?' he asked.

Caleb thought for a moment, the looked up at him curiously. 'Ain't it better to know what's right yourself instead of havin' to be told?'

Lucas laughed at the boy's innocence and shook his head, amused that his son was attempting to contemplate adult things. 'But who decides what's right? Peter's a man who's willin' to admit when he's wrong and correct it, there's worse people out there who are so stubborn to their own belief of what's right that they're shielded from what truly matters' he advised, enjoying the opportunity to provide a lesson for his boy.

'Who?' Caleb asked curiously.

'Oh you'll see son' Lucas advised knowingly, then signalled for Caleb to follow him when he had finished his fries.

* * *

Gail sat on a wooden chair outside of the small Cafe not far from the Town Hall, waiting for her present company to return. She shifted uncomfortably on the chair and placed her hand on her delicate stomach, willing the cramps that had started an hour ago to ease and allow her to fully concentrate on the task at hand.

Another sharp cramp surged through her and she let out a quiet moan, cursing her body for sabotaging her. She did not recall having this much discomfort early on in her previous pregnancy with Luke; however, she had managed to escape Trinity for some time when she was pregnant Luke and she began to wonder whether her stressful life here was a contributing factor.

As if to confirm her suspicion, a large bolt of pain travelled through her stomach and she closed her eyes in an attempt to hide her pain. She took in a deep breath and stared up at the deep blue sky, attempting to shift her focus to the warm feel of the sun on her skin.

'Bein' outdoors suits you' Adam advised, as he placed a large glass of lemonade on the table in front of her and admired her natural beauty while she gazed up into the sky. He was fully committed to his wife and loved her dearly; however, it would be a lie if he denied his attraction to the woman before him.

Gail sensed his thoughts and let out a small laugh at his predictability of wanting something that he can't have, he reminded her of Billy and his previous infatuation with her. 'Being outdoors suits everybody, I'm sure you're wife loves it too' she said, hoping there were no real feelings behind his thoughts.

Adam laughed and shook his head, assuming he must have looked at her inappropriately and nodded his gratitude for reeling him back in. 'My wife's amazin', great with the kids and more than I deserve. I'm sure the Sheriff feels the same way about you, the way he looks at any man who comes close to you says it all' he smiled and took a sip of his beer.

Gail rolled her eyes at the comment and leaned back in the uncomfortable seat. 'Surely you didn't invite me here to talk about our spouses?' she asked pleasantly, hiding her discomfort.

Adam leaned forward in his chair and held out his hand expectantly.

Gail stared at him suspiciously for a moment, then chose to play along and placed her hand in his.

'Family is the backbone of our Town' he stated and closed his fingers around her hand, feeling her soft skin.

Gail sensed all eyes on them; however, continued to let this play out, suspecting this was a game. 'Family is important, it's what's keeping me here anyway...what else?' she asked, not caring about how this scene appeared to others.

Adam thought for a moment, then smiled. 'The low crime rate' he stated confidently, happy that she had figured his play here.

'Security' Gail corrected him, sensing this was a ploy to run his strategy by her and leaned forward to make their eyes level. 'Security is the true backbone of Trinity, as a Lawyer I'm sure you can appreciate that'

Adam cursed himself for not considering that already and placed her hand gently on the table. 'Security, that's what you'd go with?' he asked, pondering on the subject.

'Anyone can go on about the importance of family and tradition, but how do you think my husband kept his position for so long without a family?' she asked.

'Sheer skill, charisma and charm' Lucas interjected confidently, then placed his hands on Gail's shoulder and gripped them dominantly.

Gail continued to look at Adam for a moment, then glanced up at the interruption. She became suddenly concerned with the absence of her son, then sensed he was safe with her Uncle Abe and smiled sweetly at her husband. 'Can we assist you Sheriff?' she asked sarcastically.

'Oh I'm always in need of your assistance Mrs Buck' he smiled at her devilishly, then knelt down beside her and signalled for Caleb to sit down. 'Should you be out in this direct sunlight?' he asked concerned about her health and wondering how he had missed her with her pale appearance previously.

'What, in case I turn to dust?' Gail mocked, winking at Caleb playfully and leaning closer to Lucas. 'Don't act as if you know what's best for me' she whispered, unimpressed by his concern.

Lucas laughed and shook his head, then turned his attention to Adam. 'I hear you've been busyin' yourself within work hours on your campaign, is it usual practice for a Lawyer to neglect his clients for his own personal ventures?' he asked in a friendly tone, hiding his irritation of this man.

Adam regarded him carefully, then forced a smile. 'The last client that required my attention urgently died in your care, so that freed up a significant amount of my time Sheriff' he stated bluntly, then downed his beer and turned his attention to Gail. 'We'll finish this later?' he asked her pleasantly.

'Of course' Gail nodded, then spotted Lucas shaking his head and regarded him suspiciously.

'My wife has a prior engagement with her family before the debate, I'm afraid you'll have to find some other beautiful highly respected woman to use to further your campaign tonight' Lucas said smugly and smiled at the disdain he sensed in Adam, before he got up from the table and left.

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head in irritation, she was about to snap harshly at her husband; however, she sensed Caleb watched them and forced a warm smile. 'Go do something worthwhile with your son, I'm busy getting my car fixed due to your lack of common sense' she stated, then leaned over to place a soft kiss on Caleb's cheek and headed towards her car.

Caleb smiled lovingly at her as he watched her leave, then turned towards his father. 'I ain't seen anythin' wrong with him' he advised, unsure what his father's problem was with Adam.

'Loyalty is an important thing son' Lucas stated unimpressed by his comment, then sat down and waited for the Waitress to serve them.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Gail sat impatiently in the reception area of the hospital, waiting to be called for her appointment with Matt. She was not in the best of moods after Lucas had called her to elaborate on what family commitment she had to attend later and the delay here was causing her even more agitation than she already felt.

Gail had not wanted Matt to get involved in her current condition, she had even considered allowing the Head Doctor of the hospital to oversea her pregnancy as Lucas usually wanted; however, both her husband and Matt had refused to allow her to switch Doctors, causing her already strained relationship with Matt to become more difficult.

Matt had taken this pregnancy personally, as if she was expanding the Buck family line purposely just to piss him off. Usually she would find his disdain for Lucas to be amusing; however, he had aimed his judgement at her this time and she was too concerned with what this pregnancy meant for her, to accept his childish behaviour.

Matt had not appreciated her refusal to acknowledge his feelings on the matter and this meant that their personal relationship had become professional, that of just a Doctor and patient. Gail was stubborn and she had happily accepted this new arrangement to spite him; however, her decision to allow his behaviour to continue had meant she had been waiting for almost 30 minutes to be seen and that was just unacceptable given who she was.

Gail laughed at her sudden feelings of superiority and shook her head in disappointment at herself, then stood up and headed towards Matt's office, smiling pleasantly at the other patients as she passed. When the Nurse manning the Nurses Station started to protest, she shot her a cold look of warning and forced a sweet smile when the woman chose to remain silent.

Matt sat in front of the computer monitor at his desk, restudying the results before him and shaking his head in disbelief. There were several anomalies that he could not explain and he was concerned his colleagues had let anomalies such as these go unstudied in the previous two cases of pregnancy that he had come across.

'I'm not a lab rat and I also have better things to do with my time than to wait around for you to get off your ass and call me' Gail snapped unimpressed, as she entered the office without invitation and read his thoughts.

Matt did not take his eyes off of the monitor and beckoned her to sit. 'My apologies Mrs Buck, your test results required further review' Matt said in a professional manner and continued to review the data.

Gail let out a small laugh at his attempt to remain undisturbed by her presence, then sat down and crossed her legs comfortably. 'I don't care about test results or anomalies Doctor Crower, I'm just here on the orders of you and my husband' she forced a pleasant tone, addressing him in the same manner as he had her.

Matt felt himself become agitated at her lack of concern for herself and regarded her seriously. 'You're not the only one invested in this Gail, these tests are important to ensure you are healthy and that little girl is still with us' he advised bluntly.

'I don't need you or a machine to tell me she's here Doctor' Gail said flatly and stroked her stomach protectively.

'Well it's a good job Sheriff Buck pulled rank and forced you to come here as your blood pressure is through the roof, not to mention your potassium levels being low and a potential vitamin D deficiency' Matt scolded, addressing her like she was a stubborn child.

'A vitamin D deficiency?' she asked amused, as though that was the most important thing she should be concerned about.

Matt shook his head at her superiority and leaned forward. 'I don't know why you think you're untouchable, but you need to grow up and start being realistic. If not for you, for the sake of your baby' he lectured and regarded her disapprovingly.

Gail stared at him irritated for a moment, then got up from her seated position and began to pace the room. 'Do you take me for an idiot Doctor?' she asked casually.

Matt regarded her cautiously, then leaned back in his chair and watched her curiously. 'You're the smartest woman I know' he advised honestly.

'Even after marrying the man that we both accused of some heinous crimes?' she asked, approaching his office window and opening the blinds to enable her to peer out into the corridor.

Matt thought for a moment, attempting to establish whether this was a trap; however, he decided to continue to address her honestly and got up from behind his desk to go to her. 'I was gone, he found a way in...you can't help who you love I suppose' he shrugged, unable to continue ignoring her obvious pain.

'Love' Gail said quietly, then let out a long sigh. 'The last time I was in this predicament, I dealt with it blind. No tests, no interference, just my common sense'

'I'm not Billy and won't be swayed by your looks, or Doctor Charlton who can be easily distracted by your maiden and married name...I'm assuming that's why you wanted to switch Doctors? You want someone who you can control' Matt stated curiously, unable to hide how her request offended him.

Gail sensed his demeanour soften slightly and allowed herself to relax. 'Your too close to this, to me...You think I want you concerned about me, or the irregular growth of my child? It's bad enough that you worried about my safety before this pregnancy, I can't handle this knowing you're on the verge of a breakdown because of me' she advised honestly and glanced over her shoulder at him.

Matt saw her genuine concern for him and cursed himself for the way he had treated her over the past few weeks. 'I can't pretend to like this...' he started.

'You think I do?' she interrupted, then they both started laughing.

Matt let out a long sigh, then stroked her back affectionately. 'I'll try to curb my ill feelings for your husband, if you agree to regular check ups and take the medication I'm going to prescribe' he offered, attempting to come to a truce.

Gail narrowed her eyes at his offer as she did not like taking medication at the best of times, let alone when she was pregnant; however, she appreciated that he was willing to put aside his reservations for her and supposed she was required to come to a compromise to benefit all parties. 'Alright, but you need to not concern yourself with anomalies and trust that I know how me and my baby are' she advised sternly, not allowing this truce to go ahead without a certain trust between them.

Matt was about to protest, then rolled his eyes and nodded. 'Let's start again then shall we...I'm Doctor Matt Crower, I'll be overseeing your pregnancy' he introduced himself sarcastically and held out his hand to shake.

Gail laughed at him and shook her head in mock annoyance. 'I'm Gail Buck and I'll be your patient for the next 9 months, now let's get on with this shall we?' she smiled sweetly, then took his hand and allowed him to lead her back to the chair in front of his desk.

* * *

Caleb stood outside of the restaurant, tugging uncomfortably at his suit. He had been happy that his father had allowed him to invite a friend to this dinner; however, he did not like having to wear this monkey suit.

'Stop pullin' at that thing, we're civilised and you will get used to this' Lucas ordered calmly and checked on Luke in the buggy beside them, attempting to hide his irritation at Gail's late arrival.

Caleb turned to Lucas to respond, then spotted the blood red Mustang pull up in front of the restaurant and rushed to Rose as she got out of the car.

Lucas watched as his son gushed over his crush and smiled when he caught sight of Gail in a slender mid length maroon bodycon dress. 'You look ravinous' he complimented her when she approached with the children and his eyes trailed down her body appreciatively.

'Might as well show it off before I lose it again' she sighed, then knelt down carefully to see Luke and kissed him on the forehead.

Lucas inhaled deeply when she bent down, then gave himself a mental shake remembering where they were and what the purpose of this dinner was. 'Shall we?' he asked charmingly, as he held the door open for her.

Gail stood up carefully, then signalled for the children to enter the restaurant and took hold of Luke's buggy. 'I don't know what you're playing at, but we both have somewhere to be shortly and I want to go on record with how much I disapprove of this detour' she scolded him and shook her head at his smug look.

Gail followed close behind the Waiter who was leading them to their table and let out a long sigh when she saw Lucas' candidate Peter sat at their table with his family. She was not in the mood for her husbands games right now and cursed herself for allowing him to use her to show his candidate in a better light.

'Oh come now love, no matter how much you try and deny it you love these games as much as I do. You're only a little sore 'cause you're losin'' Lucas whispered in her ear amused, then placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder and held the chair out for her like a true gentleman.

Gail noticed all eyes on them and let out a small laugh. She really was off her game recently for falling for this play; however, she would not allow herself to rise to his irritating smugness and chose to push down her darkness, which was clawing to be released due to her anger at the situation. 'The nights not over yet soulmate, your imbecile still has to form actual intelligent sentences to get through the debate with an educated Lawyer as his opposition...Good luck with that' she whispered in his ear, then smiled sweetly and took her seat.

Lucas nodded towards their present company pleasantly and took his seat beside his wife, placing his hand on her knee and trailing it up the inside of her thigh. 'I wouldn't get too cocky just yet Mrs Buck, there may be other factors at play that sway the character of your good Samaritan' he smirked, then freed Luke from his buggy and bounced him on his knee.

Gail felt a knot in her stomach at the comment and stared at him suspiciously. 'What have you done Lucas?' she asked concerned.

Lucas laughed and held Luke above his head playfully. 'Oh I haven't done anythin' love, I'll be here with you the whole time' he smiled mischievously, then shot her a devious wink when he sensed her irritation at being trapped here with their family and signalled for the Waiter to bring their menu's.

* * *

Adam exited the Town Hall quickly, examining his cue cards. He had hoped Gail would have found some free time to stop by before the debate; however, it appeared that the Sheriff had her well and truly tied up, resulting in him having no one to rate his strategy. He supposed he did not blame the man for stepping in, Adam was not the Sheriff's choice for this position and he knew that usually did not work out well for the opposing party. The Sheriff would do everything in his power to back Peter, Adam was lucky that he had Gail on his side to keep the rules of engagement fair.

It was not long to the debate now, he found it strange that it was scheduled at night; however, at least it had given him the chance to focus all day on what points he wanted to get across. He truly believed he was the better candidate for the position, he was smart, well prepared and a caring family man, now all he had to do was portray that the the public and the position would be his.

Selena Coombs sauntered down the quiet street wearing a tight black mini skirt and her favourite leopard print top. The outfit was usually kept for the bars she liked to visit late at night, as it made an impression; however, Lucas' instructions had been clear regarding the reason for this venture and she had dressed appropriately for the occasion. She attempted to disregard the judgemental stares of passers by, repeating in her head that she had no choice but to obey her former lover and forced her head up high, in an attempt to convey confidence.

Adam rushed down the long steps with his head in his cue cards, he wanted to ensure that he reached the Pier with plenty of time to greet any residents who showed up early to witness the debate and it would give him the opportunity to familiarise himself with the surroundings. The more preparation he did, the more chance there was of remaining cool in this stressful situation and he would not allow the Sheriff's feelings towards his candidacy intimidate him.

Adam was so distracted with his cue cards that he did not notice the beautiful woman walking in the street, until he bumped into her head on and she fell over. 'Oh lord, I'm so sorry!' he exclaimed, surprised by the collision.

Selena threw herself on the sidewalk dramatically when they collided and held her arm, feigning intense pain. 'No I'm sorry, I should've been looking where I was going' she advised sweetly and stared up at him with wide eyes.

Adam cursed himself for being so distracted and helped her up carefully, then surveyed her injured arm. 'This ain't your fault...are you alright?' he asked concerned.

Selena smiled at his genuine concern for her well-being and felt a pang of guilt for what she was about to do; however, she did not dare disobey an order and repeated that she had no choice. 'It doesn't feel broken, I'm sure I'm fine...owe!' she winced convincingly when he moved her arm gently, then shot him an apologetic look for the outburst.

Adam stared into her eyes and could see the tears she was attempting to hold back. His conscience would not allow him to leave an injured woman, no matter where he was required to be and he took hold of her carefully, in an attempt to support her in her injured state. 'Come on, I'll get you to a hospital so you can get checked out' he advised, then started towards his car.

'No hospital' she said, then smiled sweetly when he stared at her confused. 'My ex is a Doctor there and the last thing I need is to run into him with how we ended it'

Adam nodded, acknowledging what appeared to be an awkward situation and tried to come up with another option. 'Well, there's gotta be somewhere I can take you. I feel just awful about all of this' he stated, unable to hide his guilt.

Selena pondered on his question for a moment, then stroked his arm discreetly. 'You know what? I've had a long, hard day and a coffee would be divine' she smiled warmly.

Adam glanced down at her hand on his arm, then shook off his discomfort and smiled at her pleasantly. 'Coffee it is, it's the least I could do' he advised and led her carefully to his car.

* * *

Gail sat with her elbow on the table and her chin resting on her hand, watching her husband intently. The service in the restaurant had been remarkable and the staff had ensured that their three course meal was promptly served, to enable them to make the debate which was due to start in 30 minutes. Lucas had made a point of talking loud so the other diners noticed the two families dining together, she applauded his ability to make an unknown man appear welcoming and warm; however, she was determined to prevent Peter from winning this election. It was nothing personal, it was just what had to happen and she would not be beaten.

'It's refreshin' to see a good family man, who cares about the lesser paid people in our community' Lucas said loudly, nodding his approval at the large tip Peter had left the employees.

'You mean like Adam Stone who has fought and continues to fight for the downtrodden people of Goat Town, with his pro bono work?' Gail interjected loudly and smiled sweetly at her husband when he tensed.

Lucas spotted the people around them listening to what they were saying and regarded Gail pleasantly, hiding his irritation at her interruption. 'I'm sure the good people of our Town would prefer monetary benefits, rather than criminals gettin' their defences for free' he advised casually and squeezed her knee playfully.

Gail forced her demeanour to remain unchanged, sensing his underlying challenge of her comment. 'Well that depends, I'd take a good competent Lawyer who's willing to put everything on the line to support me if I'd been wrongly accused of something just because of my lack of powerful friends, rather than a few extra dollars tip in a menial job which pays far less than it should anyway' Gail retorted and waited patiently for her husbands rebuttal.

Lucas applauded her intelligence for the accusations in her statement and stroked her cheek softly. 'I think that's a topic for another time love, it appears we have somewhere else to be' he smiled, then stood up and signalled for the rest of the table to follow suit. 'Good luck friend, you got this' he leaned forward and shook Peter's hand, before the man and his left the table.

Gail waited for Peter and his family to go, having enough of false pleasantries and took Lucas' hand when he held it out to assist her up. 'You really think he stands a chance in this?' she asked in disbelief at who her husband was backing.

'I believe he's the best man for the job and cleaner than your horse, but I'm sure that will become evident soon enough' Lucas smirked, then led his family out of the restaurant and disregarded Gail's unimpressed look.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Adam pulled up in his reserved space in the parking lot near to the Pier and rushed towards the podiums that were situated before the food stands. He had been longer than intended with the nice woman he had taken for coffee to make up for injuring her and he cursed himself for being late.

Gail watched Lucas work the crowd, shaking their hands and pointing at Peter who was stood on the small stage alone, confidently staring out at the crowd. She glanced at her watch impatiently and shook her head at Adam's tardiness, not believing he was allowing Peter to dominate the stage alone.

'I hate to be the bearer of bad news but if your guy ain't here soon, Shrek's won' Christie said in an unimpressed tone, as she came up beside her friend and leaned on her casually.

'Well done stating the obvious' Gail snapped and shot her an irritated look.

Christie regarded her confused, then pinched her arm playfully in an attempt to cause her to lighten up. 'You can drop tone right now Missy...Don't get at me because a man's let you down, it ain't my fault you're husbands hell bent on outdoing you' she stated, unwilling to allow Gail to direct her anger at her.

'It's the other way around actually' Lucas advised, as he came up behind Gail and wrapped his hands around her stomach affectionately. 'Problems with your candidate love?' he asked smugly.

'I will hurt you' Gail said honestly, not able to bear his smugness for even a minute.

Lucas laughed, moved the hair resting on her shoulders to one side and kissed the back of her neck softly. 'Promises, promises' he whispered, then bit her neck teasingly and left her alone with Christie.

'I don't know how you do it' Christie said flatly, as she watched him leave.

'What?' Gail asked, feeling her frustration take hold.

'Not kill him in his sleep' Christie stated bluntly, then glanced at her friend and they both burst out in laughter.

'He has some redeeming qualities you know?' Gail smiled devilishly, as she began pacing.

Christie followed her friend and linked her arm in hers. 'Yeah but how much can a talented lover truly make you forget?' she asked in disbelief of her friends tolerance.

'Quite a bit' Gail laughed and hugged Christie for helping her forget about her agitation.

Christie froze at the unexpected embrace, then held her friend tight. 'Are you OK?' she whispered in her ear concerned.

'Always' Gail lied, then smiled at her reassuringly and turned towards the figure rushing up to them.

'It's about time' Christie said disapprovingly, crossing her arms over her chest.

Adam looked from the cross woman he had only ever seen twice in his life and then at Gail, who was alarmingly quiet. 'I'm sorry, I...'

'Want to throw away your chances at becoming Mayor? Yeah, I gathered that' Gail said calmly.

'I couldn't just leave an injured woman in the street if I hope to be Mayor' he tried to explain, frustrated at himself.

'What woman?' Gail asked curiously, feeling a knot form in her stomach.

'I was rushin' here and I accidentally knocked her down, but I took for coffee and it's all sorted' he advised, proud that he had gotten himself out of a potential awkward situation.

'What woman?' Christie repeated the question, sensing something was not right.

Adam was ready to disregard Christie completely, then spotted the serious look on both women's faces and stared at them curiously. 'That nice Teacher from the Elementary School, Selena somethin'' he shrugged.

'Coombs' Gail informed him and rolled her eyes at his stupidity, 'Her name is Selena Coombs'

'How can not know who that woman is? The whole world knows don't they?' she asked in disbelief and turned towards Gail expectantly.

'The whole female population knows' Gail replied flatly, then shot Adam a disapproving glance.

Adam regarded both women carefully, then shook his head and placed his hand gently on Gail's arm. 'What did I do?' he asked genuinely confused.

'Trusted the wrong woman' Christie answered for her friend, then glanced around the area searching for Selena. 'This may be fine, she might not show...'

'And pig's might fly' Gail interjected bluntly, then signalled for Adam to join his opponent on stage and attempted to remain calm.

Adam sensed her anxiety and glanced towards the stage, suddenly nervous about what he was getting himself into. 'Do I need to be worried about this woman Gail?' he asked nervously.

Gail forced her demeanour to soften, sensing his sudden doubt at taking on this battle and touched his arm gently. 'There's nothing to worry about, I've got your back and you're the better man here' she reassured him and pushed him gently towards the stage.

Christie watched as the man before her placed all of his trust in her friend and obediently took to the stage. 'You think it's as easy as being the best man for the job?' she asked, genuinely curious of her friends interest in this whole thing when for all the time she had known Gail, she had never witnessed her get publicly involved in a political debate.

'Stop dissecting me, I have enough to do with our rogue Teacher coming out of the woodwork' she advised irritated, then let out a long sigh as the horse she was backing entered the stage.

* * *

Lucas watched Adam walk on stage feigning confidence and smiled smugly, he sensed his love's unease instantly when her horse had arrived late and knew Selena had come into play. Although he needed Peter to win to maintain full control on the position available, this game they were playing excited him and he was curious as to what his love's next move would be.

Lucas risked a glance at his wife and caught sight of her calculating expression. He admired her intelligence and her disregard for authority, those qualities were part of what made her stand out from the crown and it was uncommon in his Town to come across someone who possessed the intelligence to act out against his rule, without coming across as a dimwitted child. It was hard to shoot down her ideals when she went about her way in such a logical manner, it made him welcome the challenge she posed to him and he was enjoying every second of this game.

Gail sensed her husbands eyes on her and shot him a defiant look, before returning her attention back to the crowd. She decided to take advantage of Christie's presence and had put her to work in locating Selena, ensuring her friend was out of Merlyn's way while she covered the debate. She sensed Lucas' misguided superiority and shook her head slowly at his smugness. He may think that he has the upper hand here with Selena in the mix, who he clearly brought into play; however, he was not the only one with pawns to move around and she doubted he understood the extent of her own influence.

Lucas read her unguarded thoughts and smiled at her confidence in remaining transparent. He did not underestimate her ability to put up a good fight; however, when this debate was over, his horse would have the backing of his townspeople. It was inevitable.

Gail sensed his unguarded thoughts and could not hold in her laughter at his cockiness. She turned fully towards the stage to face him and gave a discreet nod, then shot him a challenging look. 'Your move soulmate' she whispered, willing him to take her on.

Lucas nodded at her slowly, accepting the challenge and turned towards the crowd. 'Well, it appears our second candidate has finally decided to grace us with his presence. So without further ado, let the opening introductions commence' Lucas said in his most charming southern drawl and shot Adam a smug look.

Before Adam had a chance to clear his throat, Peter jumped in with his speech and did not stop for breath. Adam had discussed the importance of being the first speaker to take control of the debate with Gail, so not to look weak and he cursed himself for allowing Peter to take the lead.

Gail sensed Adam's irritation with himself and willed him to remain confident, all it took was his doubt in himself to shine through just a little and Peter would have the upper hand. She stared at Adam intently, willing him to take control and smiled when he finally managed to interrupt Peter from droning on.

'Problems with your horse Mrs Buck?' Lucas asked smugly, as he came up behind her and pulled her to him gently.

Gail noticed a few eyes focusing on them, rather than Adam's speech and attempted to ignore her husband by continuing to look forward. 'No problems here Sheriff, now that your horse has stopped droning on about himself that is' she stated, forcing a sweet tone.

Lucas caressed her stomach softly, then began kissing her neck affectionately. 'Take a look around love, no-one's payin' attention to your horse right now, but they took in all of what mine had to say' he whispered in her ear, then nipped at it playfully.

Gail glanced around discreetly and saw the majority of people focused on what Lucas was doing to her, then let out a small laugh. 'Using your pregnant wife as a way to distract your constituent's seems beneath you, or maybe my high regard of you is misplaced?' she whispered in a judgemental tone and smiled triumphantly when he released her, knowing he would not like her opinion of him to lessen.

Lucas let out a small sigh and shook his head knowingly. 'Well played Mrs Buck' he commended, then placed a soft kiss on her lips and left her to focus on the debate.

Gail inhaled deeply in an attempt to push down the urges he had stirred within her and focused on Adam. The opening speeches had finished and she watched confused as Caleb entered the stage, holding cue cards in his hand. 'What is this fresh hell?' she asked out loud, then placed her hand over her mouth and shook her head at Lucas' clever move at involving Caleb. His presence would of course limit her influence on the people up on stage, as she would not make a move against Caleb especially with how proud of himself he appeared to be right now.

Caleb searched the crowd for Gail and waved at her excitedly. Lucas had arranged for him to take part in this and Caleb had agreed, as a way of showing her that he could assist them in their important tasks. He tensed for a moment when he spotted her place her hand over her mouth, appearing concerned at his presence; however, he relaxed when she smiled warmly at him and returned his wave.

Caleb nodded towards both men that stood on the stage with him, then turned towards the crowd and began reading the cue cards like Lucas had showed him.

Merlyn came up beside Gail and nudged her abruptly, concerned at her brothers sudden appearance at this important debate that she was attempting to cover. 'What's goin' on Gail?' she asked confused, not taking her eyes off of her brother.

Gail did not take her eyes off the stage and regarded Merlyn coldly. 'You touch me like that again and I'll break your arm' she said bluntly, unable to control her rage at the situation.

'Go to the front of the crowd, survey the atmosphere, then report honestly and unbiased on what's being said...It's all good' Christie advised as she approached the pair and placed a reassuring hand on Merlyn's arm, spotting the dark look on Gail's face.

Merlyn regarded Gail cautiously for a moment, then nodded her thanks at Christie for her advice and made her way to the front of the crowd.

'I couldn't find her' she advised apologetically, as she linked her arm around her friends and ignored her cold demeanour.

'You don't have to, I've found the rat' Gail said venomously, as her eyes followed Merlyn and rested on Selena at the front of the crowd.

'Family is the backbone of our society, that's true...' Adam interrupted Peter, countering his answer in an attempt to take control '...but security is even more important for our society, our children and all of our loved ones'

'That's true' Selena spoke up loudly, ignoring the disapproving whispers of the women around her.

Adam lost his train of thought at the interruption and stared at the woman dumbfounded.

Peter went to use the distraction to his advantage and regain control of the debate; however, he spotted Lucas to the right of the stage and heeded his look of warning.

Caleb heard the murmur of the crowd at the sudden interruption of the debate and turned to his father for assistance. Lucas smiled at him reassuringly and indicated for him to address the crowd appropriately. 'Have you got somethin' to ask Miss Coombs?' Caleb asked politely, deciding the best course of action to get things started up again was to answer the interruption.

Selena felt nervous and tried to stand tall, she was used to doing her work in the shadows for Lucas and did not feel comfortable making such a public spectacle. She knew better than to disobey any orders; therefore, she took a step forward and feigned confidence. 'I actually do, thank you Caleb' she advised sweetly and tried to focus on the pleasant boy in front of her, who was clearly feeling as uncomfortable as her right now.

Caleb glanced at the men on the stage with him and when they made no objection, he signalled for his Teacher to continue.

'Firstly, I'd like to apologise for your lateness today, it completely slipped my mind when we were conversing over coffee half an hour ago that you had to be here' Selena said in a sweet tone and felt a pang of shame come over her, at how this was going to come across for Adam due to her reputation.

'He doesn't have time to swing by for his wife and children, but can make time for coffee with a beautiful lady like you?' Peter asked amused.

'Whore more like it' came a loud voice from the middle of the crowd and people began to laugh.

Adam heard the disapproving murmurs of the crowd and froze, he suddenly realised why people knew the woman before him and how this would look for him when his wife was at home.

Gail let out a long sigh when Adam froze and closed her eyes in exasperation. Her darkness was stirring inside of her and she focused her attention on Selena, sensing her unexpected shame at what she was doing. She disregarded the laughter of the crowd, Caleb's discomfort on stage and her anger at Lucas for this interference, she just focused all of her energy on Selena and inhaled deeply.

Selena felt a sudden sense of being watched, not by the crowd of people who had started to insult her, but by something more intruding. She felt the urge to look over her shoulder and spotted Gail with her eyes closed towards the left of the stage. She stared at her nemesis bitterly, then took in a small gasp when Gail opened her eyes and stared at her coldly. Selena could have sworn that Gail's eyes had turned black, it felt like they were burrowing into her soul and she felt a burning sensation within her. A flash back of the deal she had made with Gail several months ago surged through her brain and her shame was suddenly gone, along with her fear of disobeying Lucas.

'Stop it!' Caleb called out at the crowd, disappointed at the terrible way they were acting and turned his attention back towards his Teacher. 'I'm sorry Miss Coombs, you were saying?'

Selena gave off an involuntary shudder, then stood up tall and took in a deep breath. 'When I took a serious tumble, this man assisted me and would not leave me until he was sure that I was alright. He explained to me about how important security was to him and for all of the families in our Town. My question, which wasn't answered at the time was, how do you propose to make our community more secure when we have a Sheriff who takes care of that for us?' Selena asked, choosing to change the wording of the question Lucas wanted her to ask so Adam's reputation would not be tarnished.

Gail smiled at Selena's choice of words, making it clear that Adam had actually helped her when she was in need and took a step forward. 'I'd like to answer this if I may?' she asked loudly, smiling at Adam reassuringly.

Adam spotted Lucas tense and nodded toward Gail to indicate she was welcome to answer the question for him, then beckoned her to the stage.

Gail was not going to get this involved; however, Lucas had changed the rules when he brought their family into this with Caleb and she was forced to step up her game. She begrudgingly walked up on stage and placed her arm around Caleb's shoulders, then kissed him proudly on the cheek. 'As you all know, I'm pretty fond of Adam here. He helps me with the ongoing Goat Town project, so we've had a lot of time to talk about his take on things. We all know there's never been a question of security while my husband's been around...' she smiled warmly at the crowd and shot Lucas a quick glance, noting that he had taken to the stage to stand by Peter.

'...Alot's changed since I returned to Trinity to look after Caleb here and my husband has had all the time in the world to focus on you all previously, which I know you are all grateful for' Gail continued, squeezing Calebs shoulders reassuringly 'With family being as important as it is in our Town, I know you appreciate the Sheriff's commitment to our family and with the upcoming birth of our second child, Adam has sworn to ensure that the police presence around here won't suffer due to the increased time my husband will need to provide his family'

Caleb gasped at the realisation of what Gail had just announced and took a step back; however, Gail gripped his arm and pulled him back to her side.

Adam tried to hide his shock at the unexpected public announcement and smiled at his new partner in crime when she winked at him playfully. 'Well I wasn't gonna spill the beans but yes, I have plans to ensure our Town remains as safe as it has been since our beloved was first elected, while he attends to his ever growing family' he said warmly and smiled smugly at Lucas, who was attempting to hide his anger at being upstaged.

Peter looked to Lucas for assistance; however, Lucas disregarded the pleading in his eyes and left him standing alone to be with his family at the front of the stage. He ruffled Caleb's hair affectionately and placed his arm securely around Gail, then pulled her close. 'That wasn't your news to give love' he whispered in her ear, unimpressed at her play.

'Mark one for me soulmate' she whispered smugly, then placed a kiss on Caleb's forehead before exiting the stage and heading towards the side of the crowd, to avoid any questions.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Lucas watched in irritation as the debate continued and Peter's confidence slipped, due to Adam's new found advantage. His orders had been clear, Selena was to interject herself into Adam's path and convince him to be seen in a public place with her, allowing the man's commitment to his family to be called into question during the debate. All she was required to do was elaborate in a colourful manner about their coffee date, whether the details she disclosed were true or not and Peter would have picked up on the rest. Adam's reputation would be tarnished due to his connection to Selena, who was known by the majority of his Town to be a home wrecker and that would have paved the way for Lucas' respectable family man to prevail; however, that did not appear to be happening.

It was evident that the unplanned announcement had shifted the scales in Adam's favour, due to the way his love had delivered their news publicly. The more he thought about her decision to announce their personal business, the more his anger grew at the betrayal he had endured from both of his women and that did not bode well for either of them.

Lucas was relieved when the debate ended as he could not stand to listen to Peter's unconvincing contributions any longer. When the moment arose, he decided that he needed a release for his pent up frustration and made his way around the crowd discreetly to his intended target. Selena stood unaware of his presence at the back of the crowd, he stalked her movements for a few moments until she was far enough away from the protection of his public and began to make his move.

Selena was surprised that she had managed to make it through the debate unscathed and started to feel her tension fade away. It was hard trying to please Lucas while ensuring she did not go against Gail and although Gail's announcement had knocked her considerably, she believed she had done enough to appease both parties for the time being and had pushed down the unexpected news to digest properly in the safety of her home.

When the debate ended and she was still unaffected by any party, she smiled to herself relieved and decided to return to her car to get clear of any fallout. Clearly having a family had tamed Lucas some, as any change in his plans previously would have caused an instant reaction; however, he appeared to be on his best behaviour.

'I wouldn't go that far Teacher' Lucas advised from the back seat of her car, as she entered the driving seat.

Selena froze at the sound of his voice and began to shake involuntarily. She felt her heart pounding in her chest when she saw the look of malice in his eyes from her rear view mirror and she had to force herself to address him, knowing that showing weakness was the worst thing she could do right now. 'I suppose congratulations are in order' she said when she finally found her voice, unable to hide the bitterness from her tone.

Lucas smiled when he sensed her resentment of the news, it was the only positive thing that had come out of the situation. 'What can I say, my wife and I are very compatible' he said smugly, taking in her hatred of him.

'And what about Caleb? You think he wants to share with yet another sibling?' she asked cattily, trying to remain calm.

Lucas laughed at her attempt to remain confident and shook his head. 'If only you knew Teacher, this new addition to our family ain't gonna cause any competition for him. This is just another expansion of my relationship with my soulmate, it's a shame you'll never know how that feels in your baron state...How's Billy doin' these days?' he asked hurtfully, feigning ignorance.

Selena inhaled deeply in an attempt to keep her cool, the thought of him previously taking away her chances to conceive should cause her to despise him; however, his soulmate not being her still hurt above all else and she felt her old vicious feelings towards Gail resurface, especially now that her friend Christie was in a successful relationship with Billy.

'Aww hell, I forgot Doctor Romeo abandoned you for my love's friend. It's a shame you aligned yourself with Gail previously, you might've at least gotten somethin' worthwhile from me...I'd sleep with one eye open Teacher' Lucas warned subtly as he got out of the car and casually walked back towards the crowd, feeling some of his pent up frustration released.

* * *

Caleb walked slowly through the gossiping crowd of people, carefully observing their behaviours. Everyone appeared oblivious to his presence and were only interested in their own unimportant opinions, leaving him free to roam around unnoticed and take in all of the chatter. After the debate, Caleb had left the stage promptly and had attempted to support his father, who was clearly unhappy with what had transpired; however, Lucas did not appear to want him around and it left him with a feeling of worthlessness.

The news of Gail's pregnancy had come as a shock, he was trying to disregard that for the moment and provide assistance where needed so being discarded by his father caused him confusion. He understood that his father was disappointed that Adam had gained the attention of the people, his speech was all anyone was talking about and Lucas did not appear impressed that Peter was overshadowed; however, Caleb did not understand why this had caused his father to shun him, when all he had ever tried to do was help.

Caleb spotted Gail stood away from the crowd with Adam, she was laughing as though he had told a joke and for some reason this caused a strange uncomfortable feeling to surge through him. He stared at her intently, watching as her long brown hair and short summer dress blew in the warm breeze. She looked happy with her friend while he was forgotten, wandering close to people like a shadow that they did not know was present. The more he watched her, the more the strange feeling stirred within him and he felt himself become tense.

Merlyn caught sight of her brother all alone in the crowd of people and felt a wave of unease flow through her, what Gail had announced affected them all and she did not believe her brother should be left alone so soon after such a revelation. She made her way to him and her mouth dropped open with concern when she saw his fists clenched, she followed his gaze closely and let out a small gasp when she saw the way he was looking at her cousin.

Caleb became suddenly aware that he had been noticed and felt the tension in his body release. When he felt a familiar hand on his arm, he forced an innocent smile and stared up at his sister. 'Where'd you creep up from?' he asked, forcing a pleasant tone.

Merlyn trailed her hand down his arm and to his closed palm, then gently opened his palm to reveal small spatters on blood where his nails had dug into his hand. 'You know I'm coverin' the election, where else would I be silly?' she forced a laugh and hugged him lovingly, choosing not to bring attention to his visible distressed state at this moment in time.

Caleb did not return the hug and let his arms rest by his sides loosely. He loved his sister, he always would; however, he was not in the mood for her saintliness right now. 'I thought you'd be out somewhere with Doctor Matt, seen as you're shackin' up together' Caleb shrugged, not entirely sure where the blunt words had come from.

Merlyn regarded him cautiously for a moment at the comment, then forced herself to remain calm and smiled warmly. 'What I do with Matt is none of your business, but you know I'm always here for you...you're my family' she advised, placing her hands on his shoulder reassuringly.

'I seem to have a lot of family these days' Caleb said coldly, then shrugged off her hands and disappeared into the crowd.

Merlyn searched the crowd for him, then let out a long sigh when she lost him and cursed herself for losing touch with him recently. She turned her attention back towards her job and chose to shake off her unease,deciding to have faith that her brother would come to her if needed.

* * *

Gail sat on a small bench with Adam, smiling pleasantly at the people who passed them. She was thankful that the strangers who made up the large crowd had chosen not to approach her, even though it was obvious that she was the object of their discussions. With how much gossip formulated in this small Town, she knew it must be killing them to allow her to sit here undisturbed.

'Well, this was definitely one for the books and our first true victory. I'm grateful to have you on my side Mrs Buck' Adam said happily, as he placed his hand on her knee subconsciously.

Gail glanced down at the hand suspiciously for a moment, then smiled when she sensed his affection for her was as a friend and no more. 'Next time I'd like to take a back seat, so maybe try to avoid taking the Town tramp to a crowded area on the day of an important event' she advised, feigning scorn.

Adam laughed and shook his head at his own stupidity. 'You know I didn't even know who she was, I was so busy tryin' to remember what I wanted to put across that it hadn't even occurred to me to look out for a trap'

Gail let out a small laugh, knowing her husband would not be taking her interference well and placed her hand on Adam's knee to show she was not mad at him. 'It's a good job one of us is aware of how these elections work, you need to be more careful as I will not sway people again' she advised seriously.

Adam nodded in acknowledgement of her warning, then stood up and let out a small stretch. 'Will you be OK here on your own if I go make the rounds?' he asked, glancing at the townspeople who still remained.

'She's never on her own friend' Lucas said flatly, as he came up behind Gail and placed his hands on her shoulders protectively.

Gail continued to focus her attention on Adam for a moment, then signalled for him to leave and looked up at her husband pleasantly. 'If I didn't know you better, I'd say you were trying to mark your property' she said sweetly, then smiled when she caught his look of irritation.

Lucas had spotted the way Adam had placed his hand on her knee and had been ready to scold her for allowing him close to her, as well as her interference earlier; however, his anger faded as he stared down at her and saw how tired she looked, so he just brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes before moving around the bench and helping her up.

Gail accepted his assistance, sensing that he wanted to get away from prying eyes and obediently allowed him to lead her through the remainder of the crowd. She was drained and was not in the mood for a fight; however, she was prepared in case it came to that.

Lucas smiled pleasantly at the people they passed; however, his demeanour warned against approaching and he was left alone to lead his wife away from the festivities. He sensed her intrigue and kept his thoughts guarded, then led her to a secluded area surrounded by tree's and gently pushed her back against a bark.

Gail could not hide her curiosity, it was not like him to remain this calm when his plans had been interfered with and she was unable to sense his true intentions. She would be lying to herself if she claimed that she was not excited by his mysterious behaviour and waited patiently for him to address her, expecting there would be repercussions for her actions.

Lucas watched her closely, sensing her excitement and kept his demeanour unchanged. Not only had she somehow convinced Selena to not follow his orders correctly, she had used her condition to Adam's advantage without consulting him first. Announcing her pregnancy to the Town without his authority was a clear defiant act against him and she needed to be punished, yet he found himself distracted by her excitement and was struggling to remain mad at her.

Gail sensed a change within him as his demeanour softened slightly and she stared deep into his eyes, biting her bottom lip subconsciously in anticipation of her punishment.

Lucas sensed her thoughts and stood over her dominantly for a few moments, then gripped her chin roughly and forced his lips on hers for a passionate kiss. She was calculating and infuriating; however, she was his and he was hers. He supposed that he would respect her less if she did not use her cunning to undermine him and the trick she pulled was no worse than him involving Selena in the first place.

Gail ran her hands up his chest and gripped his shirt, to enable her to pull him closer. She savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth and felt his devotion for her growing stronger. When he finally released her lips, she nipped at his neck playfully and moved her hands to his pants.

'You think you get off that easy?' he asked, trying to remain in control.

'I think you're only sour because I beat you to the announcement. So yes, I get off that easy' she smirked triumphantly, then unzipped his pants and released his manhood carefully.

Lucas bit his bottom lip to stifle his moan and shook his head disapprovingly. 'We will discuss you're conduct here shortly' he warned, attempting to pull rank.

'I'm sure we will Master Buck' she replied teasingly, then turned around and gently pushed back against him seductively.

Lucas inhaled deeply as she reached up her hand and tangled it in his hair. He smiled at her ability to diffuse his anger when she stared up at him with innocent eyes and brought his lips down on hers, as he moved her thong aside and slipped his hard manhood into her sweet spot gently. He let out a loud moan as she closed in around him and pushed in and out of her slowly. 'Is this what want of me?' he whispered and nipped at her ear playfully.

'You know how I want you' she panted softly, then smiled as his movements became more forceful.

Lucas thrust in and out of her hard, trusting she would alert him if he was hurting her too much and welcomed the intense bolts of pleasure that surged through him. He sensed her desire and acceptance of being out in the open not far from his townspeople, making this act all the more exciting. His hands trailed from her hips to her stomach and he stroked her protectively.

Gail took a small intake of breath when he caressed her stomach and felt her body tense uncontrollably. She could not hold in her sudden concern and tried to regain control of her emotions.

'Everythin's gonna be fine love' he whispered reassuringly, as he held her protectively and felt their climax rising.

Gail closed her eyes in an attempt to push back her distrust of him and placed her hand on his, then squeezed tight when they came together and he exploded within her. She could not deny her suspicions; however, it was hard to keep her reservations when they were connected in such a strong way.

Lucas sensed her mixed signals and held her tight to show that he was not oblivious to her feelings, as he remained inside of her for a moment. There was something bothering her, that was undeniable and he was determined to make sure his family was not compromised by whatever was causing her distrust.

* * *

Caleb wandered around the back garden of his home, stroking the large old fountain as he passed. He had felt an urgent need to return home after he had been discarded by his family and had been drawn to this secluded area of the property, where he now wandered around aimlessly in the hopes of gaining some clarity over the uncomfortable feelings that were circulating.

'It's about time that you showed up' a wicked voice called and beckoned Caleb towards him in a welcoming manner.

Caleb stared towards the back of the garden where the tree's grew high and obediently followed the voice, until to withstand it's temptation.

-The End-


End file.
